


Love Lies Bleeding

by crescxntrise



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst, Character Death, Ficlet, Hanahaki Disease, M/M, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25386259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescxntrise/pseuds/crescxntrise
Summary: Izumi Iori takes care of longtime friend Nanase Riku, only to realise that he took care of his disease instead.
Relationships: Izumi Iori/Nanase Riku
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Love Lies Bleeding

A chant of birdsongs from the open window softly marching its way to his ears. A touch of fresh morning air gently caressed his skin, telling him to open his eyes.

"Good morning, Nanase-san."

Weary eyes opened, revealing a plain white ceiling and walls. The colour looked so sickly just like him at the moment.

"Good morning, Iori. Don't you have classes for today?"

"Yes. I have one at 1 pm and one at 4 pm. I still have time."

"How is your brother doing?"

"Brother is doing just fine. He told me to send his regards to you. He said he will visit when he's not busy."

"Ah, alright then," he smiled.

His eyes stared longingly at the sight of clear skies and fluffy clouds. Yet unlike them, myriad questions and thoughts filled his head like grey clouds before a heavy thunderstorm.

"Iori," he called his friend. "Do you think I will be free from this disease?"

"You certainly can. You have the power within. To speak up about what you truly feel. Yet for that, you should rest and think about it." 

"But, what if it kills me?"

"There's another option, Nanase-san, if you wish to be truly free."

"I see." His eyes momentarily glanced at a bucket of bellflower petals mixed with droplets of red.

\---

Another day in a sickly white room. He gazed at the cloudless afternoon skies, still with questions filling his head to the brim.

_What if I'm not enough?_

_What if I don't have the power to save myself?_

_What if it kills me?_

"Nanase-san," Iori tapped his shoulder. "Please remember to eat and rest well. It will speed up your recovery and gives you power for the cure."

"I know," he smiled faintly.

"Then, I will be off-"

"Iori," he called him softly. "When will you call me by my name?"

"Pardon me?"

"Call me by my name."

"Nanase...san."

"No," he shook his head. "My name."

"With all due respect, I can't do that. I'm sorry. I should be going, Nanase-san."

He heard the sound of the door being closed firmly.

"I see. Okay."

He had always been like that. Always so polite ever since his high school years, and he still kept that attitude in his college years. They had known each other for long, but Iori never once called him by his given name.

_He yearned for it, for all these years._

He felt his throat clench, his chest heavy. His left hand clutched his chest, his right covering his trembling lips.

One by one, purple flowers came down with the crimson rain.

\---

The next day felt just the same.

Still with a head full of questions and undecided decisions and lungs full of flowers suffocating him.

_Do I wish to be free and empty? Or do I wish to try opening a path for myself to live my life to the fullest,_

_even if it costs me my own life?_

"Nanase-san, you're spacing out. Here's your medication for today. Make sure to take it to ease your pain."

"The cure...is to tell the truth, right?"

"Yes. If you wish to be faithful to your heart."

"What if I'm not good enough for this person, Iori? All I've done was being a huge burden-"

Iori tapped his right shoulder. "Stop. You're not a burden, nor you aren't enough. Please don't say such things about yourself. You're a great person, Nanase-san. There are people who love you. Believe in yourself, Nanase-san, just like I believe in you. You have the power to speak. But if you wish to be truly free, you always have the second option."

"I have...?"

His question remain unanswered as Iori stood up, preparing to leave. He glanced at his friend, who was staring at the open window. He walked towards the window, closing it with a sigh.

"You could catch another cold if it's left open. Good night, Nanase-san. I'll be taking my leave."

"Iori, wait, I-"

Iori turned off the lights and softly closed the door shut.

The night was painfully still, the silence deafening.

He felt warm teardrops falling from his eyes, as he weakly cried his heart out. He felt his throat clench again, his lungs heavy. He could feel flowers and roots grow, clutching his lungs, painfully suffocating him. It was hard for him to breathe, all that came out from him was the sound of pathetic wheezes.

 _Cough_.

A wave of crimson red staining his blanket.

_Cough._

One, two flowers.

"Io...ri...I-"

Three, four, five.

More blood seeped out, crimson red tainting the petals and falling down his neck and chest.

"I...lo-"

Six, seven.

His lungs begged for air as he silently prayed for a chance, yet the flowers, the blood, and his tears did not seem to stop even for a second.

" _Love...you._ "

\---

The thought had bugged his mind. Why such trivial request of calling his name? But yes, they had been so close for years, maybe it is time to drop the politeness a little bit.

He shrugged off the thoughts, making his way towards his friend's room.

"Good morning, Riku, I'm here-"

But by the time he called him by his name, it was too late.

_**Love lies bleeding**_.

**Author's Note:**

> One of my very first IDOLiSH7 fan fiction and I straight up aimed for angst. This was a repost from Twitter, I finally gathered the courage to post it here. I hope you enjoyed reading!


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